2018 Formula One season (ME)
The was the 7th Formula One championship contested over 16 circuits in as many countries. Signed team and drivers Changes Team * Caterham: Cosworth → Toyota engines. Cosworth announced its effective withdrawal from the sport as of 2018. It decided to reunited a lost partnership between itself and Ford. Cosworth engineers and employees, while still strictly working for Cosworth, merged with the Ford employees to work on a combined engine. Thus, the engine was officially called a Ford-Cosworth, though teams using the engines would still be labelled just ''-Ford''. * Marussia: Cosworth → VW engines. Following Cosworth's announcement, Marussia announced its plans to make its own engine for the 2018 Formula One season. Being a motor company themselves, the benefits outweighed the disadvantages. * Com Hem Marussia → Manor Marussia F1 Team. Com Hem's sponsorship deal, signed when Marcus Ericsson was on the team, expired for the 2018 season. This, in addition to Cosworth's withdrawal, reverted them to their original name. * BMW resigns Williams for a further 3 years. They will have to resign or find a new engine for the season. * Robin Keerles And Rait Evardi made their grand prix debuts at Scauderia Ferrari their flag wasent entered for this year Driver The only changes to the driver line-up were that Paul di Rest would replace Dieter Aeschelman at Sauber, who was fatally injured during the Spanish Grand Prix last year. The lack of other changes comes as a result of an unlimited contract durations being allowed from the 2017 season onwards, resulting in all teams resigning their drivers for two or more years. A lot more contract negotiations should occur mid-season in 2018, in time for 2019. Also Jack Lawton from Canada joins the grid to start his F1 career. Mid-season * Caterham: Alexander Rossi → Carlos Perez → Rossi. Following American Rossi's injury at the first race of the season, Australia, he was replaced by Mexican Sergio Perez's brother and test driver, Carlos, for four rounds. * EADS: Nino Magro → Zhi Jiang. Nino Magro was seriously injured at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seriousness of his injuries prompted the singing of Zhi Jiang to full driver for the rest of the season, though Magro was able to replace him as test driver for the Belgian Grand Prix. He would take place in his home Grand Prix, at Italy. * Renault: Marcus Ericsson → Raja Harta → Ericsson. Ericsson was injured during a crash in the Canadian Grand Prix. Test driver Raja Harta took his seat for the British Grand Prix, the first time an Indonesian would race. * Mercedes: Jean-Eric Vergne → Sebastian Vettel → Vergne. Former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel stepped up to replace Jean-Eric Vergne, who was injured during the Spanish Grand Prix. The German will race only at his home Grand Prix. Calendar The calendar will be reformed for the 2018 season onwards. It will feature three different "calendars", which will alternate every year. Each season will now consist of 16 races, with notorious races on all three calendars as "jewel races", and less important races featuring once every three years as "feature races" (which, despite the name, are exactly the same in format to jewel races). There will be 7 jewel races and 9 feature races, meaning a total of 34 different circuits over the course of three years. Jewel races are always on the same round of the season. In cycle one, the United States Grand Prix will be held in Austin, the Spanish in Catalunya, and Germany in Hockenheim. In cycle two, the United States will be in Indianapolis. Finally, in cycle three, the German Grand Prix will be in Nurburg, the Spanish in Valencia, and the United States in New Jersey. Results and standings : See also: Results sheet Final standings